Stainless steel and network video cameras

Strong as steel

Iron alloy with < 10.5% chromium

Corrosion, rust and stain resistant

Ideal for harsh environments

An iron alloy with a minimum of 10.5% chromium, stainless steel is known for its anti-corrosive, anti-rust and anti-stain properties. And it’s as strong as iron. These properties make it perfect for many applications. Cutlery and kitchen sinks are some of the most familiar. But stainless steel is also an ideal material for network video cameras in harsh environments. A number of Axis cameras use 316L stainless steel for maximum corrosion protection.

Why choose stainless steel?

Stainless steel is much more resistant to corrosion than ordinary carbon or alloy steels. For example, when exposed to seawater or aggressive cleaning chemicals stainless steel will not corrode, rust or stain the way other metals might.

When to choose stainless steel?

Areas where there is a risk of explosion (referred to as hazardous zones) require explosion-protected cameras. Areas outside of hazardous areas are called safe zones – but conditions in them can nevertheless be harsh. Stainless steel cameras are ideal for harsh safe zones.

Outdoor and indoor applications for stainless steel cameras include:

Marine

Mining

Oil and gas environments

Food

Medical

Clean rooms

How does it “work”?

As mentioned, stainless steel is an iron alloy with a minimum of 10.5% chromium. It’s the chromium that makes stainless steel “work.” Chromium produces a layer of oxide on the surface of the steel that prevents further corrosion. It’s a very thin, but very effective coating. And the process is continuous: if you scratch the coating with a stainless-steel tool, the coating will be damaged but a new one will be created very quickly to protect the surface once more.

But please don’t forget …

Tools made of other metals can damage stainless-steel surfaces. Scratch a stainless-steel surface with a different metal, and carbon is left in the scratch. That carbon prevents the chromium from reproducing the protective layer. So we recommend always using stainless-steel tools and avoiding metal buckles and the like around stainless steel cameras. You can use an emery cloth to clean carbon from a stainless steel surface scratched by non-stainless tools. But it’s better to avoid scratches in the first place.